NESTS AND EGGS OF BIRDS 



FOUND BREEDING ON 



LORD HOWE AND NORFOLK LSLANDS; 



These rpniote insular dependencies of New South Wales, situated 

 in the Pacific Ocean, possess a great interest to students of 

 Australian Ornithology, as within their limited areas several 

 genera of birds are found that are represented in the Australian 

 and New Zealand regions. Both islands, however, in regard to 

 their avifauna decidedly belong to the Australian region, as only 

 three genera have been met with typical of New Zealand that 

 are not found in Australia, viz. : — Nestor, Notorvis, and 

 Ocydromus, the former two however are now extinct, and the 

 genus Ocydromus is confined to Lord Howe Island. The genera 

 found in these Islands and represented in Australia, but not in 

 New Zealand, are Halicetus, Haliastur, Strepera, Pachycephala, 

 Myiagra, Cacomantis, Chalcophaps, Onychoprion, Anous, Gygis, 

 and Phmton, to these may be added Eurystomus and Sula, which 

 only occur as stragglers in New Zealand. There are no genera 

 peculiar to either Island, but several distinct and well-defined 

 species, a list of which will be found on reference to the Appendix 

 of Dr. Ramsay's " Tabular List of Australian Birds," p. 37. 



For information on the habits of the birds found breeding on 

 Norfolk Island, I am indebted to Dr. P. Herbert Metcalfe, the 

 Resident Medical Officer, who has obtained with one or two 

 exceptions the nests and eggs of all birds found breeding there, 

 the eggs of which he has kindly forwarded on loan for description, 

 together with the notes on their nidification and breeding seasons. 



The descriptions of the nests and eggs of two birds peculiar to 

 Lord Howe Island are also given, (Merula vinitincta, and 

 Ocydromus sylvestrisj taken from specimens lately acquired by 

 Mr. T. R. Icely, the Visiting Magistrate, on behalf of the 

 Trustees of the Australian Museum. 



